Best Real Estate Brokerages in Chicago
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Joseph Gordon EditorClose
Joseph Gordon EditorJoseph Gordon is an Editor with HomeLight. He has several years of experience reporting on the commercial real estate and insurance industries.
If you’re looking to sell your Chicago home, one of the best tools you can add to your arsenal is partnering with a trusted local real estate agent. The real estate market in Chicago is competitive, and selling a home is a complex process.
A trusted local agent with one of the best real estate brokerages in Chicago can help you demystify the process and get you the best value for your property when it hits the open market.
As of January 2025, the average days on market in Chicago, that is, the time it takes for a home to sell once it has been listed, sits at 29 days, while homes typically sell for a median price of $340,000—a 2.9% increase from the previous year.
This guide will provide you with a list of trusted local agents in your area who can help you sell your property—or purchase your dream home, giving you the peace of mind you need to complete your real estate journey.
Connect With a Top Agent to Sell Your Chicago Home
It takes just two minutes to match clients with the best real estate agents, who will contact you and guide you through the process. To connect with an agent, simply tell us a little bit about your property and how soon you’re looking to sell.
Our data shows the top 5% of agents across the U.S. help clients sell their home for as much as 10% more than the average real estate agent.
What is a real estate brokerage?
Real estate brokers are professionals with additional training and are licensed to run their own businesses, called brokerages. Agents without a broker’s license must work under a brokerage to legally buy or sell property and typically do so as independent contractors. Most brokerages make money by taking a portion of the agent’s commission from each successful transaction.
Since brokerages profit from agents’ success, it’s in a brokerage’s best interest to support its agents. For sellers, it’s important to consider the kinds of support that a brokerage provides its agents.
This support can often include training, access to large marketing networks, the latest technology, or a large support staff.
Why work with an agent?
There are several reasons why you should consider working with a real estate agent when selling your home rather than selling on your own.
One of the biggest reasons is that selling your home “for sale by owner” will typically net you less overall profit than selling through an agent—23.5% less on average, according to the National Association of Realtors. FSBO homes sold for a median price of $310,000 last year. In comparison, homes sold with the assistance of a real estate agent had a median sale price of $405,000. That’s a difference of $95,000.
Additionally, a real estate agent can help you get more money for your home sale but can also help you wade through a lengthy and complicated sales process.
An agent is an advocate for you and your property, and they can provide insight into their local market or assist you in finding a real estate attorney who can deal with any unexpected complications that might occur.
- Have you sold homes in this area and my price range before?
- How many homes have you sold in my neighborhood in the past year?
- How will you help me prepare my home to sell?
- Will I be working with you directly or with a team?
- What are the average days on market for your listings?
- What is your average list-to-sales price ratio?
- How long have you been an agent?
- How many homes do you help buyers purchase each year?
- Do you work full-time or part-time as an agent?
- Do you work with both buyers and sellers?
List of Top Brokerages in Chicago
Not all brokerages and agents are created equal, and there are countless options to choose from. Rather than wade through an endless list of companies, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best real estate brokerages in Chicago, along with some top real estate agents, for you to consider on your home-selling journey.
Legacy Properties
Sarah Leonard, owner of Legacy Properties, is a HomeLight Elite Agent in Illinois. HomeLight Elite Agents represent the top 1% of HomeLight agents, consistently getting the best results and providing the best service to clients.
Sarah is an expert in single-family and townhome transactions, with over 5,000 single-family home transactions under her belt. She works with 68% more single-family home deals than the average agent in her area.
Compass
Founded in 2012, Compass has been one of the largest U.S. residential real estate brokerage by sales volume for three consecutive years, with $184 billion in 2023, according to RealTrends.
Mario Greco is a top real estate agent with Compass, serving clients across the Chicago area. He has over 20 years of experience with over 5,000 transactions to his name. Mario is known for selling homes fast, selling property 55% faster than the average Chicago agent.
Keller Williams North Shore West
Keller Williams North Shore West is Keller Willaims-affiliate based in Libertyville, Illinois. Keller Willaims have 1,000 offices across the United States and over 166,000 agents working under its umbrella.
Lisa Wolf is a HomeLight Elite Agent with Keller Williams North Shore West, bringing over 15 years of experience to her team. Lisa is known for being an expert in single-family home transactions and selling homes fast—she has over 1,500 single-family transactions to her name, 66% more than the average agent in her area.
@Properties
At Properties is an extension of Christie’s International Real Estate, serving clients seeking luxury real estate in markets across the United States.
Danielle Moy is a HomeLight Elite Agent with At Properties, bringing over 15 years of experience to the table and has completed over 2,500 transactions. Danielle serves clients in markets across Chicago, with expertise in the single-family home market.
HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell Program
Let’s say you’re ready to sell your current home, but your dream home pops up unexpectedly. You don’t want to wait for your current home to sell as you might miss out on a great opportunity, so what can you do?
Enter HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell Program. This program lets you leverage the equity in your existing home so that you can move into your new forever home without delay.
Here’s a quick look at how it works:
Start Making Offers Without Waiting to Sell Your Home
Through our Buy Before You Sell program, HomeLight can help you unlock a portion of your equity upfront to put toward your next home. You can then make a strong offer on your next home with no home sale contingency.
Ready to sell your Chicago home?
Selling your home can be a scary and complicated process, but don’t worry—HomeLight is here to help.
Whenever you’re ready to get started, HomeLight can connect you with a top real estate agent in your local Chicago market. We’ll help you find the best agent in your area—one equipped with the expertise to build a selling strategy that works best for you, whether you’re selling an inherited home or relocating for your next journey as a homeowner.
Editor’s note: This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Links and mentions of specific companies or individuals should not be considered endorsements.
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At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.